Mrs. Atkin's Kindergarten: Exploration and Literacy Work Stations-1

Exploration Work Stations

Exploration Work Stations are a combination of math, science, engineering, and technology activities. This week we broke up into 5 groups. As time goes on, the groups will get smaller and more activities will be introduced. The students are on a rotation and work with a different activity every day. During the last couple of weeks the students have had opportunities to get a feel for some of the manipulatives. This week we made them a little more purposeful! The activities included making shapes on the geo boards with rubber bands, following the pattern to create a picture with the pattern shape blocks, sorting, creating patterns, and working with numbers.

Below you will find that students used a resource sheet to help them stay focused on what shapes to make on the geo board.

Next you will see that students followed directions and patterns to make pictures with the pattern shape blocks.

Students used a game board that we will be using throughout the year for sorting. This allows the students to have a more defined space for sorting each object.

This week in exploration stations when we worked with the unifix cubes, we focused on making AB patterns. We will soon be talking about what makes a pattern and how they always repeat.

Finally, we started working with numbers. Students had number cards where numbers are raised and made from sand paper. The students jobs were to first trace the number, then make the number with a wiki stick, and finally write the number. Three step directions are difficult for kindergarteners, but overall they all did great!

Literacy Work Stations

Towards the end of the week we also introduced Literacy Work Stations. In our Literacy Work Stations we will work on literacy skills. This week we again only had 5 groups. As time goes on we will continue to introduce new activities and more work stations. This week we introduced the listening center, library, games and puzzles, writing, and ABC.

We put the student's work stations on the Promethean Board and practiced looking for our name and knowing where to work.

The students in the listening center took turns holding the book and turning the pages. They had great focus on the book "K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo" by Gile Andreae.

In the ABC station, students used sticks and curves to make letters of the alphabet.

Puzzles and games work station is a place for student to work on problem solving skills. We introduced an alphabet matching puzzle matching the letter with a picture. Also, we introduced the game "Memory."

In the library students focused on reading the pictures. Even though many of our students can't read the words in the books, they can still "picture read" the book. It is important for students to know that we can read all types of things including books, magazines, recipes, newspaper, catalogs etc...

Lastly, we introduced our writing center. Again, even though our students can't write stories yet, we begin by telling stories through our illustrations. Students also practiced writing and tracing their alphabet letters in this center.